The One Behind the Looking Glass
by Ashia21
Summary: I looked around, confused, when I found myself visible instead of incorporeal..before looking back to you who was front of me, looking just as perplexed as I am. Something's not right (In which Chara takes a more interactive role in a pacifist route, and will reveal much more than than they had intended) Gender neutral Frisk and Chara! in a Pacifist Route! Obviously has a twist.
1. The Final Human

**Just Finished Undertale myself, and boy, was it worth it! It even got me back to writing fanfics! Now if only it could get me to finish some actual chapters…**

 **On to the introduction, HELLO people of the undertale fandom! I'm sure all of us here just loved the game, through I'm a tad bit disappointed on how little fanfiction there is of the game, guess it can't be helped, huh? I hope that it would at least reach a thousand one day, till then, KEEP UP THE WRITING!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Toby Fox is the creator of Undertale and all of its characters, not me, you understand?**

 **EDIT: Did a revamp to suit the actual overall plot line.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

The One Behind the Looking Glass

Prologue:

The Final Human

* * *

 _Painful_

 _It's so…painful_

 _Why…?_

 _Why are you doing this?_

 _No_

 _NO_

 _NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!_

 _STOP!_

 _STOP DOING THIS!_

 _Please…_

 _If you don't…_

 _If you don't…_

" **Then what?"**

* * *

" _You were bound to do this," You said with a smile._

 _The child stared back at you in a dazed expression, looking down to the mess still staining the silent room. The floors had once been brown, you remembered, a dirty brown that always looked like it wasn't clean enough due to the spots of white that seemed to stain on its wooden surface. Despite this speck of imperfection, you had once admitted to the child that it was a fine little house to start with and that it looked rather homely in the inside. With its yellow walls and its tiny vase of fresh flowers at the side, certainly a place that spoke volumes of what kind of person had lived in it._

 _Oh how tragic it is to see it covered in in such filth, how tragically beautiful._

" _It was only a matter of time," You said again, and the child did not look back at you this time, still staring at the floor in a daze even as the tool they use to refurbish their home was still horribly stained with the child's 'paint' "Until you destroyed everything. It is your nature after all,"_

"… _No,"_

 _You smiled again; the child was still looking at the room. They had loved this room in particular, had they not? They would always tend to the flowers in the vase and replace them when they began to wilt. It was almost tragic to see the same vase of flowers spilled on the floor, its flowers stepped on, and its water mixing with the specks of red that littered the room._

 _You did not know that you could love a color so much. It was the color of advancement after all._

" _I see, So you wish to defy me? Are you going to point that knife at me and force me to RESET then?" You spread your arms in front of the child, complete vulnerable to any attack they would give "Try it, stab me. Stab me knowing that it would only sink you deeper into your own madness,"_

 _The child flinched, and you smiled again, you could not stop smiling. How could you not? This child had been a wonderful toy after all._

" _Such an idiot you are. You truly do have nothing in your mind aside from your own determination. No wonder things had turn out like this. You are more twisted than I thought." You jest; laughing at the look the child had given you "I'm joking, my child! I'm joking! But the look on your face was priceless! Even morose than the faces they had made in their dying breaths!"_

 _You laughed alone, full and hearty at the child's expression._

"… _I hate you," The child said, and you paused, giving a hearty laugh a second later. Why and how you began to laugh like that, you never knew. And you never will._

" _Now that's something new, since when have you been able to hate?" You say as you took some steps towards the child, who took a step back in shock. Your gin turned feral as you let your hand rest on the child's cheek, who shivered at the touch, while the other was used to gently take the knife away from them and then pointing the gut slicing tip on the child's chest, right where their physical heart was said to be. You laughed at the shiver of fear the child had given you, for it was a genuinely human emotion and it was such a waste to see it of their face now of all times._

 _After all, they do not need human emotions, not anymore, that is._

" _That won't do, don't start faking that you still have emotions now of all times," You say as you watched the child's face begging to sweat when you dug the knife deeper so that it pierced no further than the child's clothing "Or is it THEIR doing? Such a nuisance, they are. Even after THEY abandoned you when they were satisfied,"_

 _You dug deeper and watched as the child began to cry, calling out names of those who have long since been taken way by the hands of death._

" _Don't you agree, ***** ?"_

 _But nobody came._

* * *

I opened my eyes to a blinding light.

I blinked, not once, but twice, letting my eyes adjust to the natural glow above me in a slow and steady pace. I took a deep breath, feeling my chest rise and fall in a familiar symbol of life. Unsteadily, I lifted my left arm and began to repeatedly clench and unclench it, feeling the rusted joints moving in a steady pace. I then lowered my hand towards my heart. There, a familiar rhythm was beating softly beneath the layers of flesh and cloth. The heart should have stilled along with my soul was right here with me.

Alive. I was alive.

I clenched the green cloth over my heart in confusion. The light above me continued to shine down on me with its heavenly glow, flickering not as it touched the yellow petals of the flowers beneath me. Slowly, I took my hand from my chest and reached for the sunlight in wonder. For it was such a long time since I have seen sunlight in this dark and hollow underground. But the action only made the breath in my thought to pause as the light passes through my arm seamlessly as if there was no such obstruction there.

There is nothing physical to obstruct it.

My statement has been proven false, I was not as alive as I thought I was.

 _And yet, what am I doing here?_

Beneath me, the yellow flowers rustled, their pollen floating indolently in the air. I lowered my arm again and sat up slowly, feeling joints cracking despite no longer having a physical form. Perhaps it was due to my own memories of how the body works and how it should react that caused this odd phenomenon. I lifted my head towards the light above me. It was called 'sunlight' I recall, the natural light of the world above. It was something everyone knew. Yet for the beings in this fissure, it was something they had very little hope seeing in the span of their lives. All because the humans above were frightened of the idea that these beings could take their souls and kill them all.

The fact that even now, this light shines upon the underground, proves that humanity has not learned that it was not above consequences.

I should feel hatred for them, disgust for them, anger and vengeance for the race that felt that they were superior enough to imprison another and make it so that their only way to escape is by tainting their own hands with blood.

Yet I felt none of that.

I frowned. This is a predicament, I idly remember my vast hatred for the ones above, and yet it vanished? Trying a different approach, I delved into my own memories in hopes that one of them may bring up a reaction. I tried to remember the fun I had while playing under the rainy ceilings of the waterfall with the one who was my brother. The satisfaction when the one who was my father gave both of us each a cup of golden flower tea after drying us off with a towel. And the gluttonous joy I felt when the one who was my mother came up to us and gleefully announced that the pie was done.

But nothing came

How…can this be…? This has…this has never happened before….

I paused, and tried a different approach once more. I cupped my hand over my heart and repeatedly thought of this worrisome predicament until it became nothing more than an estranged chant. Soon enough, my heart began to beat in a faster pace of panic, mimicking my own forced feelings on the situation. Relief soon filled me at this revelation.

I am still able to feel emotions. It is just that the ones that came before I died have disappeared.

It is because I no longer have a soul.

Yes. That seems to be correct. Through our plan had failed, Asriel had still devoured my soul and died with it. The being that I am today seems to be neither human nor monster anymore either. I am most likely just the essence of my former being at the moment, not a real person.

 _But I have never taken a visible form like this before_

Why was I awakened this time? And in this form, of all things?

"…,"

…?

I felt a prickle at the back of my neck, it felt like someone was watching me. Such a feeling felt uncommon to me, who spent most of their time watching others. I turned my head away from the golden light above and looked behind me.

It was a human

I raised an eyebrow

A human that looked like…me?

…?

You tilted your head to the side as you looked at me from your side of the golden flowers, confusion eerily similar to my own marring your face. You were kneeling on the garden in a similar fashion as I was and, judging from the tiny scrapes barely noticeable due to being obscured by the tiny flowers, you had just recently fallen down. Looking at you longer, I realized that, aside from the hair, skin, and perhaps age, we were still slightly different. Instead of wearing a green shirt with one yellow stripe, you were also wearing a purple shirt with two stripes. You wore child like shorts while I wore brown pants. You also wore a Band-Aid on your ankle, something I definitely did not have since monster food magically healed those kinds of injuries.

How interesting, to find a human that looks so much like me is rare.

 _In the end, they were all children_

"…Hello,"

I turned my attention back to you, who was looking at we curiously with a sense of weary innocence. You did not seem to understand whether to be frightened by me or not. It was understandable, I suppose. Although I was visible, I was still a transparent mass that looks similar to a human, only lacking a soul. The normal behavior of a human would always be to destroy whatever makes them weary, by running either from it, or by fighting it. You on the other hand, being a child, had no such chance of defeating soothing you are unsure of, thus, you cower, frightened. I was not insulted by this, however, I understand that there are much worse reactions to meeting an unknown entity than greeting it.

Such as, say, threatening to kill them if they don't reveal themselves, only to threaten them again to leave when they find out that the entity was in their head this whole time. I knew a few who did that, albeit one was out of fear while the other was out of annoyance.

However, no matter the greeting, I would always answer. As such, being visible was no reason for me not to speak to this one.

"…Greetings," I said quietly in a robotic fashion, feeling the vibration of my throat felt almost alien to me now. You tilted your head to the side for a moment before smiling back at me. The gesture was not returned however, as I saw no reason to smile back at you. Such a gesture was useless to a dead child.

Toriel will surely fail to protect this one from the monsters beyond the Ruins. Just like she had failed to protect the ones she had so hauntingly called her 'children'. It was as if every child she tries to care for dies in her arms. She was never good with taking care of things more delicate than plants.

 _If this child dies, the monsters will be free…and our plan would not have been in vain…_

"Name?" You asked, a flash of happiness appearing in your smile. I pondered on this odd behaviour for a moment before mentally shaking my head and opening my mouth to reply. There is a time for everything, and now was the time of introductions. Tedious as it was, it was mandatory so that the child would at least have some trust in me. For if, they truly did wish to leave the underground, then I am their best bet in leading the way.

 _In whichever path they wish to take_

"I am…?"

…?

I blinked…my…name…is…what…?

Panic overfilled me

What…was…my…name…again…?

This…This should not be possible! Why…Why is it that I can't remember my name?! There is very little missing in my memories, and losing a soul does not equate to losing a name! Why?! WHY?!

"…?" You looked at me with a confused expression, but I could not care at the moment.

My name…My name!

What is my name?!

"I-I," My lips parted, and spilled without my consent

"I-I am-,"

 _ **["Chara,"]**_

"Chara,"

 _ **[The True Name]**_

You beamed at me, not noticing my own confused expression. Chara…yes. That is my name. My… name… is… Chara…Why had I forgotten that? That had never happened before What else had I forgotten? This is rather worrisome.

You pointed to yourself with your tiny thumb. For a moment, you reminded me of someone else who used to do that, but that image was lifted when you spoke your name.

"Frisk," you say, and I blinked…Frisk?…ah.

"Your name is…," I paused for a moment before continuing "…Frisk," You nodded gleefully, a smile etched on your face in an almost perpetual manner, before getting up from your spot on the tiny patch of flowers with your own wobbly feet. I watched for a moment in confusion. Very few of the ones who had fallen here were as calm and collected about the situation. Knowing this, I spoke out.

"Where are you going, child?" I asked you, before blinking slightly at the pronoun used. You turned back to me and shook your head, not hearing or ignoring the pronoun usage.

"Out," You answered in a simple manner. It would seem, as you were no one for long conversations. That is understandable. What caused a momentary halt however, were how those childlike words were spoken. I could not tell how old you were, but if I were to guess, it would be that you were the same age as I when I first fell down.

Perhaps this was one of the better times to laugh at the irony of the situation. To think that the last child needed to fall into the Underground was the same age and appearance as the first child to have fallen so many years ago? Someone up there must have a sick sense of humor to allow this to happen.

 _THEY have such a sick sense of humor for making this happen_

"Where do you want to go then?" I asked again, preparing myself to get up when you answered…

"Home,"

…ah, _Home_ …

" _I really need to get home soon before they get worried,"_

" _I will return home,"_

" _Oh, well. I'm searching for a home, you see,"_

" _When are they picking me up? I wanna go home!"_

" _They won't stop me from going home,"_

" _I…I have to return home…I have to…,"_

They all wanted the same thing…and yet they never got it…such a twisted irony.

"You wish to go…home?" I asked one more time, and you nodded, already walking towards the only exit visible that could be reached by children such as us. I frowned again.

"And what if I said that you had no hope of getting home?"

It's hopeless for you, there is no way you can escape this place alive. Because for all the positive aspects the monsters were born with, many certainly has little qualm of killing a child like you. It's a Kill or Be Killed world after all.

You stopped…before continuing onwards. A swell of determination began to glitter and shine before receding to the body buried underground the flowers, I felt the familiar essence of a 'SAVE POINT' being formed beneath the soul of the flower garden. This time, I could not help the laughter that escaped my lips.

"I see, foolish of me to ask," I let out, Feeling the familiar wave of DETERMINATION filling me steadily despite knowing that this swell did not come from me, but from you.

Human souls are different from monster souls.

Every human soul has what is called by the monsters of the underground an essence called DETERMINATION. It is the rejection of death, the will to live. It is the very skin of a human soul that differentiates it from the formless soul of a monster.

It is made out of regrets.

It is the fear of death raging like a cornered mouse. It is the reluctance to move on and allow the world to rotate without you. It is the arrogance to continue forwards despite not even needing to. It is humanity's darkest traits, yet their most powerful weapon.

Humans cannot use magic.

Magic is pure. Magic is untainted, Magic cannot be wielded by those with evil in their hearts. As such, only Monsters can wield them. A monster's soul is void of DETERMINATION. A monster's soul is pure, untainted, and fragile to the touch. Magic is the embodiment of a monster's soul after all. It embodies hopes, dreams, compassion, love, everything that is positive in this world.

So when a human child who possesses DETERMINATION came in close contact to raw magic…when the human's desperation to live that exceeds all other instincts comes in contact with the intangible essence of hopes and dreams…

Then a "Miracle" will occur…and the child will be SAVED.

My SOUL, my essence, gave birth to this "Miracle,"

The miracle that allows one's DETERMINATION to affect the world outside your SOUL and SAVE you from a death you refuse to have.

And now, this power, just like the others before you, has become yours.

The power to SAVE and LOAD

And so long as the child stays determined, this miracle is within their grasp.

It was almost a guarantee that you would get what you wanted, and that Asgore's plan would ultimately fail along with his life.

"Allow me to accompany you then," I said. Despite the blank expression secured on your face, the shock was clearly visible. And for a moment, I was confused as to why you looked so shocked, but shrugged it off.

"You don't really know anything about what's beyond here, correct? I on the other hand know much about the underground – the place where you had just fallen into, if you're still confused – as such, it would be best that I at least accompany you on your journey so that you do not do something idiotic." I spoke briefly, all the while wondering if I should tell them that six other humans aside from me had already fallen down from this very hole, but chose against it. Telling a human that previous humans had already fallen down here and never coming out was not a good way to start a conversation. They were already traumatized with having a dead child in their head.

The fact was fortified by what happened to the yellow and dark blue souls.

For a moment, you face was devoid of any emotion, before a small a sheepish smile began to grow oh so steadily in your face, and a childish giggle escaped your lips despite already blocking it with your hand. Before I could react, you took me by the hand despite my apparent transparency and paced towards the exit with renewed vigor. I smiled

How interesting, to think that the final soul required for everyone's freedom would be the one soul that could destroy them all by just being determined. Perhaps this one would last longer than the others and achieve their goal. Even if it meant killing Toriel or Asgore?

Either way, there was no hope for Asgore's plan to succeed anymore, for this child does not seem to be someone who would falter easily. As long as I am here, you will gain the path you crave for.

That is my purpose after all. To guide you…as you pave the path THEY wish for you to take.

Interesting, how very interesting. To think THEY would go as far as reviving my spirit and giving it a visible form all so that THEY could play a little game with this little child in this little… little…world.

Don't think that is a bit too cruel for THEM?

I laughed, but found no humor in them. I could no longer find myself to ponder at your odd behaviour, or why your were not at all fazed by a clearly transparent being. Not now at least.

Hahaha, how dark. And how very, very interesting.

What do you think?

…Gaster?

* * *

 **AAAAAND DONE!**

 **Haha, sorry it's so short, it's only meant to be a prologue after all, hopefully I don't abandon it and leave it at that.**

… **yeah, hopefully.**

 **Anyways, how did you like it? Or did you hate it? Or are you confused by the odd perspective? I wanted to portray Chara as they are when their narrating, as such, Chara use 'I' and Frisk is given 'You', everyone else will be third person perspective.**

 **You may have noticed that Chara is speaking rather oddly for a child. But since this was how they spoke during the genocide run, I suppose it will do. Given that Chara is pretty soulless at the moment, they don't really have much of a character. They will probably get more character after the RUINS, as this part is where you start a pacifist – neutral - or genocide path, this will also be that place where Chara will probable adjust to their own predicament of sharing determination and emotions with Frisk.**

 **Basically, if Frisk goes on a rampage, then Chara goes with the flow.**

 **I'm sure some of you have guessed, but this story will probably be more than just a simple retelling of Undertale, it may even curve from the plot a few time, not so much as it will cause a big change maybe, but brace yourself if that actually happens. Chara and Frisk are just such interesting characters that I couldn't resist.**

 **Well…that's all I want to say…sooo**

 **Read and Review!**


	2. Trust in Me

**Well. I certainly didn't expect to update on a school day, yet here we are.**

 **Sorry it took so long, this fanfic is experimental in the sense that the plot is there, but the little bits that make it up are a bit fuzzy. I had to rewrite the first chapter to coincide with the patches I made. In fact, there are still plenty of holes I haven't filled yet. I kinda understand why Toby's annoying dog would just sleep on top of the holes instead of think them through, they take a lot of thought.**

 **So yeah, please read the updated first chapter before this. You will be very confused if you don't.**

 **VERY**

 **Anyways…**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Undertale (God knows I'll never a dog) or its characters. I merely own my OC.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

The One Behind The Looking Glass

Chapter One:

Trust in me

… _I…_

* * *

" _Where are we?" The child asked to no one in particular. The area was different from the place they had just left, completely different in fact. It was much darker and damper than the woods they passed by._

 _You spoke, saying the name of the place after a few seconds. The child squeaked when you spoke though, jumping slightly in a startled fashion and a clutching the object they would always carry tightly to their chest. After a few moments of the child calming themselves down, you apologized. Through you knew that it did not really matter to either of you if you did so. Still, the child took a deep breath and continued walking._

" _S-Sorry about that," The child said as they clutched on to the parcel they carried "I-I shouldn't be this frightened by now, I-I know that. But it still feels really weird," You said nothing to this, and the child nervously shrugged this off and went forward. Each step they took with their black formal shoes would cause a light tap to echo through the area. That, and the single droplets of water that would reverberate throughout the cave's flooring, made a silent symphony of eerie atmosphere._

" _I hate this place…," The child mumbles sullenly "I…I wanna go home already…,"_

 _You spoke up at this, reminding the child of their only way home being the barrier at the other end of the underground. Just as you were about to continue however, the child collapsed and started crying softly._

 _You could not help them up_

" _I-I don't wanna g-go there," The child cried "T-Their king is t-there, and h-he's got to be really strong then," Slowly, you confirmed this, and the child continued sulking "I'm not strong…I-I'm weak, I'm hungry, and I-I'm really tired from all this walking. T-There's no way I could defeat something like THAT at my current state. I-It's impossible! I-I don't wanna die!"_

 _The child continue to cry, and to your worry, you felt their DETERMINATION dwindling due to their weakened state. As such, you told them to go back to the town and get some rest there as well a buy some food. The child however, screamed at the thought._

" _No! I don't wanna go to some monster's town! You can't make me!" They cried, now huddling themselves by the corner as if someone was going to try and pull them up "They're just gonna be like those monsters that k- killed me!" You frowned at this statement and told the child that the monsters in the town no longer remember what humans look like and that they would never hurt you so long as you do not give away the fact that you are human. But the child would not here it. Instead, you stayed silent and waited for the waterworks to diminish._

" _I-I'm sorry," The child whimpered "I-I know your trying to help me here, but I-I'm just thinking logically here,"_

" _I-I'm not an idiot," The child said, his face dry of tears now, but still red of face from the crying "The other kids that came down here…d-died…because they showed themselves to the monsters in the first place. E-Even that one guy you told me d-died despite being really nice to the monsters,"_

 _You stayed silent for a moment. A memory flashed, and a boy with a kind smile and green eyes came to view, covered in his own blood. You shook the memory away however, when the child spoke again._

" _I-If I don't let anyone know that I'm h-here…t-then it should be easier to get to t-that king of theirs and t-take his soul…I think," The child's head dipped in embarrassment "O-Okay, maybe it wasn't the most l-l-logical move…STILL! I-I'd rather avoid any conflict if possible, s-so that's that!"_

 _You paused…and called the child an idiot. Sure enough, the child began to tear up._

" _T-That's mean!" The child said, and the tears disappeared, they looked at no one in particular and frowned, frightened once more "Do you…do you think I can do it? Leave the underground I mean…,"_

 _No, you cannot. It is impossible. You're going to die just like the rest of them. You're going to lose your determination and die for good. You will never get the chance to go back home._

 _You said none of these, but the child heard them nonetheless_

" _Y-Your really pessimistic, aren't you?" The child looked up to no one, but their fists were clenched and their eyes were looking at something you could not see "S-Still, even if you say that, I'm not gonna give up escaping! Even if some of them are nice…like Miss Toriel…I'm not gonna give up my soul just so that they can destroy humanity,"_

" _E-Even if I don't wanna continue…I'll persevere till I reach the end…until I reach…HOME,"_

 _A spark ignited and you watched the single glow of a SAVE point appear by the wall of the hallway. You paused for a moment, and then commented on how talkative the child was lately. The child's face reddened and began stammering, running off in a burst of embarrassment despite knowing that there was no way the child could outrun something stuck in his head._

 _A few rooms afterwards, the child finally collapsed from the lack of food and sleep, and a pair of footsteps slowly came towards them._

 _You watched, but could do nothing to help them._

* * *

The room was devoid of monsters

"Howdy!" A flower popped up from the dark room and greeted you with a smile "I'm Flowey! Flower the Flower!"

Oh, never mind, there is a flower

…

…

…oh?

I raised an eyebrow at the sight of an actual talking flower in front of us. I do not remember any monsters taking the form of an actual flower with a face. Rocks? Yes. Skeletons? …yes. Wolves? If I remember correctly, there should be one in Snowdin, so yes. But flowers? This was certainly a first for me, and I certainly did not expect to be surprised by something so early into the journey.

Something about this monster…does not feel right though…

"Hmm…Your new to the Underground, aren't cha?" Flowey the Flower said in a high pitched tone, still keeping a friendly smile on its face as it looked at you, but not at me. I frowned, and went up to touch the flower, only for my hand to pass through. So I truly am invisible to others "Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!"

What an annoying voice

I felt my eye twitch, not noticing the glances you were giving me. Why do I feel like this flower was…mocking us? I crossed my arms and shook my head in denial. That cannot be right. Monsters were made out of love, hope, and compassion, they would never trick humans like that, right? They were different from humans, right?

 _ **Do not fool yourself**_

I shook my head again when you looked back at me worriedly.

"I guess little old me will have to do," Flowey said to you, who looked back at the flower impassively "Ready? Here we go!"

 **Dark…Darker…Darker**

Darkness filled the room a BATTLE phase has begun.

I watched as, from the tiny chest of the human, a single SOUL appeared, Bright and beating with the familiar red glow of a soul similar to my own. I stared at the oddly familiar SOUL and patted my own chest. Just as I expected, no SOUL came out from my body, as there was nothing in there to begin with. I did not let this faze me, however, and soon took my eyes off my empty chest and towards the flower that had the gall to commence a BATTLE phase. It was still smiling at you with its constant smile, and I frowned when I realized what was so strange about this flower.

"Be careful about this one," I warned you, who turned to me in confusion "It is…dangerous. It has no SOUL,"

A being without a soul is truly terrifying. To monsters at least.

With that, I retreated to the sidelines and watched as the Flower explained little bits of information about your SOUL and how it can grow immensely strong if you decided to gain more LV, meaning LOVE. I frowned at this information. It was not that I did not know these terminologies, I knew more about them than any monster in this hellhole, but the fact that this flower knew them as well.

LOVE and EXP, are terminologies strictly used for humans only

Monsters are kind and compassionate; they do not have the ability to hate. Not that it meant that they could not get irritated or angry at another for any wrongdoings they would do, but because they simply could not hate a monster enough to kill them, if only because their own hate would destroy their souls from the inside. As such, no matter how strong a monster was, their EXP would never gain a single point.

The terms "LOVE" and "EXP" were never meant for monsters, but for humans, because only humans had the capacity to hate someone enough to kill them.

How does this flower know about something that is only applicable to humans? No, not just that. How is this monster even alive despite lacking a SOUL? Has Gaster finally succeeded in one of his experiments concerning human DETERMINATION? But then, why is it a flower? I hate to be vulgar, but is this some sick joke directed to me and Asriel? This is all too confusing.

You turned to me wearily, your hand clutching the wooden stick with a child like grip. You looked very confused at the moment. Through what you were confused about, I could not tell. Still, the flower kept on talking.

"Down here, LOVE is shared through little, white…'friendliness pellets'," The flower said with a smile. It was such a sincerely happy smile that I would have fallen for it myself…had I been an idiot. That smile looks too fake to be anything but. I should know. I had spent timelines worth of years wearing that very smile. How the monsters did not suspect its fake-ness astounds me.

"…uhm…," I blinked and turned towards the soft voice. You stood there, fingers fumbling the stick you brought with you and feet making light tapping noises at the ground. Without the flower noticing, you looked up to no one in particular and looked straight at me. "…that flower…it's…,"

"A nuisance," I replied, watching as your frown seemed to deepen "You have the option to kill it, through I doubt you can kill it that easily," This monster was soulless, who knows what it had under its sleeves? It would be beneficial to just eliminate any unknown variables that would endanger your chances of surviving. Unfortunately, you only had a stick with you at the moment. I highly doubt you can poke this monster to death.

Honestly, where are the knives when you need it? Mine should still be at New Home too. Perhaps there are knives at Home? I do remember the one of the human children almost killing a Whimsun with a knife they found in the kitchens. Or was it a Loox? My memories are getting foggy.

"Move around!" Flowey said, brandishing their 'friendliness pellets' and throwing them at the exposed SOUL of its opponent, the smile on its face showing no hint to the malice it was going to do. I felt oddly irked at this. I do not like being played around with, I'm not an Idiot either. "Get as many as you can!"

"You can dodge," I said to no one in particular "Just will your SOUL to move, and your DETERMINATION will do the rest," You looked at me for a moment, black eyes gazing at red, before clenching your fist and willing your soul to the left. The barrage of bullets did not touch you. I looked back towards Flowey, who was still smiling, but had its eyes slit.

"Hey buddy," Flowey the Flower said, his voice in an amusing deadpan even though its smile was still there "You missed them," I smiled at the irritation from the soulless being. I wonder how many more times its bullets would be dodged before it realizes it's being played with? The thought alone was enough for me to let out a soft huff of laughter.

You looked at me strangely, you were still frowning.

"Let's try again, okay?" It said; its voice clearly sounding irritated as it once again unleashed its tiny bullets on you. Just like before, however, you dodged. I gave a smirk at the expression the flower was giving us. Flowey the Flower's face began to contort more and more in irritation. It looked as if it was all but itching to end the charade there and then.

What an idiot this flower is. Does it really think that I would allow for it to gain a human soul that easily? I may have failed with the other six souls, but I will not fail with this one.

I will _not_ lose

(You will not let them have their way, not again)

"Is this a joke? Are you braindead?" The Flower frowned in irritation; I on the other hand, am all but basking at its ruined plan "RUN. INTO. THE…friendliness pellets!"

I laughed. Surely the child knows by now that the flower was not as nice as it said it was. This child was not an idiot, they will dodge again, and the flower's facade should break when it realizes just who it being tricked this time. After all, a monster can never out trick a human, not even a soulless one.

So when the bullets came and you did not dodge, I was surprised.

"You-," My words were cut off when the bullets reached the soft and fragile skin of the SOUL, piercing through it with their hatred and malice and diminishing the DETERMINATION inside the child. I screamed in pain at the horrible sensation of you HP hitting the mark just below zero and collapsed to my knees, my form was fizzing in and out from the sheer lack of DETERMINATION.

One more hit, and we would be dead

"You Idiot," I looked up and found the flower staring down at us, it's face becoming horribly contorted with its eyes bulging out and it's grin becoming all the more maniacal. "In this world, it's Kill or BE Killed. Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this!?"

The flower began to laugh at us, mocking us for our weakness and vulnerability. Its laugh held not a single shred of the love, hope, and compassion that were what made a monster. Soon enough, a circle of bullets surrounded the breaking SOUL, ready to tear it apart. Suppressed fear welled inside me at the sight and it was then that I knew for sure, that this flower was no monster.

" **DIE,"**

It was a nightmare

"Why…?" I gasped out and looked at you. You, with your posture rigid and your arms all but shaking, you looked at me with shock and a tinge of worry. The bullets were getting closer, and you began stuttering softly at me, the words too soft and the ringing in my ears too loud for me to hear it

"I…I…," I heard you say "I-I didn't…-," You were still looking at me with those wide eyes, emotions I could not comprehend flashing through them in a panic. For a moment, I saw another child in your eyes. A child much younger than you, and much clumsier, so clumsy that they needed lines to stay straight and maneuver around enemies.

That very child gave up in living after his 112th RESET

The bullets were just centimeters away from killing you now and you were still fumbling. I felt anger at this, anger at you for damaging your SOUL on purpose like that, anger at the flower for playing with us like this, but most of all, angry at myself for the mere fact that I may soon be dying because of some suicidal Idiot.

Could it be that…?

"…Was this what you really wanted?" I asked you, knowing I may not get a reply, for the end was among us "Was this how you wanted to end?"

If there was an answer, I did not here it. And I never will.

…

…

…

Have I gone numb? Because I do not feel anything

Reluctantly, I opened an eye I did not know I closed, expecting to see the yellow flowers of my grave again.

Nope, I was still here, and so was the flower. What just happened?

A rush of energy head my aches and HP began to grow. I looked up, confused, only to find the rings of bullets gone and a very confused Flowey amongst us. Cautiously, I stood up and looked at the breaking soul. It looked good as knew, not a single crack in its surface. I looked back to you and you exposed soul hoping for an answer, but you said nothing. You only looked at me apologetically and looked back to the flower.

"Wha-," I stuttered, but my own breath was cut short when you came forwards and pulled me back by the sleeve, missing a fireball by a few short inches. The fireball landed squarely on the confused flower, who screamed as the fireball tore it off its roots and sent it flying towards the abyss. I blinked once, then twice, and then a third time just to be sure.

"Huh?" I stared dumbly at the scene. Just a few moments ago, we were almost killed by an onslaught of flower bullets, and now the flower just got pushed away by a fireball that came out of nowhere. It's a lot to take in when you've just awoken. On the other hand, you were smiling; it…was not the kind of expression I was expecting to see from someone who had deliberately tried to kill themselves…

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…," A familiar voice rang from the darkness. My eyes widened and my head immediately snapped back from the direction Flowey was and towards the source of the voice. There, looking just like she did so many, many years ago, was a kindly monster wearing the delta rune on her purple dress.

Ah, so that fireball was…

Toriel

 _mother_

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child," The kind monster came towards you, unable to see me "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins," She gave you a kind smile, one full of the love that monster were known for "I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down." I looked at the monster I called my mother with a frown. Beside me, you smiled at Toriel.

"You are the first human to come here in a long time,"

Huh?

"Now that's not right…," I muttered to myself, ignoring the look you were giving me. What did she mean by that? I do not recall it being that long of a time. Huh, perhaps the RESETS the previous children had done are warping Toriel's sense of time?

I looked back at the abysmal room just outside my grave, ignoring whatever my mother had to say. This room used to be finely lit, I recall, by the glowing crystals on the ceiling. It was a dome shaped room that held murals telling of the monsters' lost against the humans and their banishment to the underground. But now the room was dark, with only a singly glowing crystal planted at the ceiling, shining only at the centre of the room. I closed my eyes for a moment and recollected the time when I first entered this room with Asriel and how confused I was at the situation. But when I opened my eyes, I found nothing but the abyss that gazes back at you.

Perhaps some time did pass since I last awakened…

"…Chara?" I hand tugged my shirt, and I turned to look at you. Toriel seems to have gone on ahead. I frowned for a moment, snatching my sleeve away from your grasp, and glared at you.

"Why did you not dodge that third barrage?" I asked and you were silent "You suicidal human. That SOUL of yours is yours alone, and yet you willingly brought harm to it? Are you an Idiot?" You lowered your head slightly and fumbled with you stick; your eyes were closed again. The sight only irritated me further. Many things are not making sense to me at the moment. I was given a visible form, a soulless flower tried to kill us, and it may be that more than a few years had passed since the last soul came down from above. I'm not afraid to admit that I am unsure if my power to SAVE is even working properly anymore – the save point literally sunk into the ground, that never happened before – had the child so soon without making a SAVE file, there was no guarantee that they would even RESET properly.

Did they even want to RESET?

"What on earth were you thinking?!" I spat at the child, I could no longer care that I maybe using words that they could not understand "You have not even touched a SAVE point yet! Who knows what could have happened if you died before SAVING?!" I glared at you. The other children were never like this, they had all saved before dying the first time, so I never really knew what would happen if a human died before they made a SAVE file. What you did just now was just stupid and reckless. Who on earth would willingly harm themselves like that?!

To think that the final soul would be a suicidal idiot, the previous children must be rolling in their coffins.

"This better not happen again," You looked up at me, your fists were clenched "Unless you really are suicidal. If that is the case, leave me out of this,"

And if you died now, then the very souls that strive to return home will become the instrument needed to destroy it. And I will lose.

"…I don't," You muttered "I don't…want to die,"

" _I-It's impossible! I-I don't wanna die!"_

I closed my eyes, and then opened them again.

"Then why did you not dodge?"

The child fell silent again, and I huffed in in irritation. I trudge onwards, uncaring how you were making an effort to follow me. The irritation has subsided, but the hate has not. Why…why does it have to be a human who would willingly injure their SOUL like that? Why could it not be a different human? One that actually had some self preservation? I almost pity the souls that fought tooth and nail to keep their SOULS intact, going through RESET after RESET just to survive, only to fail…

 _But if the human dies, then maybe our plan would not have been in vain…_

I shook my head and continued forward

* * *

 _You told the child that their friend was dead_

"… _shut up…,"_

 _You told the child that their friend was killed by the monsters_

" _Shut. Up,"_

 _You told the child that there was little chance that their goal to leave the underground with their friend alive and well would happen and-_

" _Shut up!" The child snapped at you, glaring at no one in particular with eyes filled with hatred "Just shut up! Don't say another word!" You frowned, and continued to speak. Why should you stop talking for a measly human child? You were only saying the truth. The child however, would not listen to your words and started shouting even louder. Without even saying a word of warning, the child raised their gun and pulled the trigger._

" _I SAID SHUT UP!"_

 _ **BANG**_

 _A gunshot was heard, and a body fell to the ground. You screamed, pain coursing through you as your energy began to diminish. The child that shot the gun began to cough in a broken and cracked tone; their striped shirt stained in red and was slowly bleeding out. Beside the child, the remains of the monster that attacked them collapsed in a pile of dusts._

 _You whimpered painfully as the HP of the child began to diminish, you had not expected that there would be a monster that could attack outside a BATTLE phase. The child grunted in agreement before taking out some food they took from the house in the Ruins before they left and eating a piece of it. The magic of monsters encased them and soon enough, the injury on their abdomen disappeared, leaving nothing but a wet and ugly bruise waiting to be treated the traditional way._

"… _shit," The child, a teen of average height, cursed out loud. They gripped their striped shirt tightly, grimacing when they saw the large bloodstain seeping covering the four stripes on their shirt. You would have found this color satisfying…had you not known what would happen next "I can't have- she can't see me like this, she'll freak out and try to protect me or something,"_

 _You paused at the pronoun use. Oh? So the child was a girl after all? You did not care when you met initially. You had grown accustomed to not caring for gender due to the Underground neutral policy for monster with questionably genders. It was not like you were even interested in the human either way. You shook this thought away however, and proceeded to tell the child that they could just wash the bloodstain off, as the area they were at was filled with water. The child shook their head, however, and stared ahead coldly._

"… _that is a waste of time," They said, their anger quickly enclosing themselves between the barrier of calmness "The monsters might get to us while were washing or waiting for it to dry, you should know that," You growled hatefully, snarling at the child that, if that was the case, it was better to leave the stain there and continue forward. The child's frown deepened._

" _But the scent of blood might attract attention, didn't you say that once?" You grimaced again. Yes, you did say that. It was best to stay clean to prevent monsters from finding them._

 _The child brought their revolver out and nimbly pointed it at their head_

" _Then this is the only way,"_

 _You screamed, panicked at the child's choice. You told the child that they did not have to RESET, that they could just keep the shirt as it is and just risk a few walking EXP's to come towards them. After all, it was just a shirt... But the child will have none of it._

" _I don't want to do this either, you know," The child grimaced, the hand holding the revolver was quivering "But I refuse to make any mistakes that would jeopardize my mission. If it means that I can safely bring my friend back home, then I honestly don't care how many times I will die,"_

 _Irritation built up within you, along with the anxiety of knowing that you would once again be thrown into a RESET. You screamed at the child that, if that was the case, why did they kill the monsters if their only goal was to kill Asgore? The child paused for a moment, lowering the gun slightly and then looking away._

" _They were in my way, the child said quietly "And they would not leave even when I showed them MERCY," The child took a deep breath and calmed himself. They looked at the dust of the monster they just killed and growled._

" _It doesn't matter anyways, they were the monsters that took away my friend. They also had the gall to defend the one that personally took her away by force,"_

 _The hand that was holding the revolver tightened significantly, and the child smiled when they felt your growing anxiety._

" _Of course, I won't forgive you for letting my friend get captured either. But I believe that the pain you feel with every RESET is a deserving judgment for you, no?" If you could, you would have glared at the child hatefully, but you could not, so you settled with silence._

 _The child's smile began to fade back into the cold look they always wore, and the gun was brought back to their head_

" _Although…if it did turn out that what you said was correct and she…was already dead…then no matter how pure you say they are compared to humanity, I will never forgive the monsters,"_

 _You close your eyes and waited for the impending pain_

" _No matter who they are, no one who takes part in an innocent's death deserves MERCY," The child's finger touched the trigger "Not you, not them…and not me,"_

 _The wind was howling. The child's DETERMINATION was too strong…_

" _For the Justice I believe in, and for the friend I had lost…I will bring judgment,"_

 _The trigger was pulled, and you screamed_

* * *

I watched as you started complimenting a Froggit that I specifically encouraged you to kill.

You were a pacifist

You were a _pacifist_

I did my best not to bang my head on the walls of the Ruins right there and then.

Fate must be laughing at me and the six souls that were killed by the monsters, or perhaps this was just sheer irony laughing at me in particular. Because now, including me, there were four pacifists and four hostiles. It was just my luck that the last one just _had_ to be the one who would not even hit a _dummy._ A _dummy._ It is a Kill or Be Killed world outside the Ruins, yet I get a _pacifist_ for the final human.

…

A _Pacifist_!

I grumbled incomprehensibly as Toriel all but hand held you through the random puzzles scattered through each room of the Ruins, and then actually held you by the hand in one of them. You did not train your attacks on the dummy like I recommended. You did not kill the Froggit that tried to attack you like I recommended, and when I tried giving you the options on how to ACT in front of the monster instead, you went ahead and ignored me, doing your own thing. Almost all forms of violence that would get you stronger were completely and utterly ignored by you.

You did not even try to debunk me, you just ignored me.

You were a pacifist. Yet you were ignoring me.

Anger bubbled from the irritation of being ignored. The other children had at least listened to me when they needed it. Even if some of them (The _pacifists_ ) refused to kill the monster like I recommended, they still looked to me for guidance. Because I was the one with the most knowledge. Because I was the one that had the ability to bring them back from the dead. Because I was their best hope I survival. But no, I was being _ignored_ this time, _and I do not like being ignored._ Why am I even following you around if I'm only here for the ride?!

It's like I'm not even needed here!

…

…ah, that's how it is, is it not?

"Chara?" You looked back to me from the doorway at the end of the long corridor. Toriel seems to have asked the child to stay in the corridor for a moment and left. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that behind the good kid act, you were above breaking the rules "We should go…,"

I raised an eyebrow at the child. Oh, _now_ you're talking to me, and you also seem to expect me to reply despite the fact you _did not even try to reply to me and just ignored me every time I spoke._ I bit back the seethe that was escaping my lips and instead, I looked to the child and asked "You're not gonna follow her orders and stay?"

"…," You lowered your head, and I snarled, my own patience was wearing thin.

"Hah! Your patience is as dull as your brain," Your face shot up at the insult and glared at me, an emotion I did not comprehend hidden beneath, but I chose to ignore it. I sneered at the sight, at the very least, they were looking at me. The child stepped forward, their eyes open and a frown on their face. Just as you opened your mouth to retort however, I spoke up.

"You-,"

"I am not going,"

I spoke up, my voice ringing as clear as I could make it. You stopped in your tracks at this, and looked at me, wide eyed with confusion.

"Huh?" I snorted at the reply. What an Idiot

"I know I said I should accompany you, but you do not really seem to need me anyways," I said to you "I do not like you either, and I feel as if the feeling is mutual. I can find better things to do around here than follow you around silently like a ghost child. Like say, care for the flowers," That was a lie of course, since I could not touch anything. The most I could do was staying at the entrance and at my grave to reminisce of what other memories I still have intact. Of course, I was not going to say this. Despite this, you still looked reluctant to leave, and my mood only soured at the sight, causing me to continue.

"…Besides,"

I looked at you with narrowed eyes

"I am tired of following the whims of others,"

I've been doing that for too long.

"B-But-," You started again; your face was contorting to panic. I did not know why you had such a face, but at the same time, I could not bring myself to care. You were just some random child after all. There was nothing special about you at all, no hidden skills, no particular talents, and no identifying feature. Aside from your insane amount of DETERMINATION, You were just a normal child of little visibility in a world where everything stands out.

Just like me

I gave a shrug and turned away from you and towards the end of the corridor "Do not worry though, child. I will make sure that you are still able to access your SAVE file even if I am not around, so you can die all you want," I said, unable to hide the bitterness in my tone. I was not needed here, I never was. What was needed was my ability to SAVE, not the person behind it.

Perhaps that was the true reason why I was awoken form death time and time again, For my ability and not myself. I could not help but feel bitter at the thought.

"Wait…," You spoke up, but I cut you off once more, turning around for a second to look back at the last child needed for Asgore's plan to succeed.

"You should start walking now," I sneered at you, who looked as if they did not know what to do with the situation. I let my anger ebb away only slightly and spoke out "The underground in vast and you have a long walk ahead of you before you reach the end of the cavern," I paused for a moment, before saying "Oh, and do not go trying to climb up the hole you fell from either, the burns you receive from the barrier cannot be healed by DETERMINATION," That's what one of the children tried to do after all. Their hand was completely covered with burns because of this. They even had to cover it with their pink glove in order to even touch anything with it.

With that, I began to walk away, only for my sleeve to catch onto something. I turned to find you slouching my sleeve in a panic. Do you think you could force me to come with you or something? Anger began to build up within me at the thought, and I yanked my sleeve away roughly.

"I said leave!" I crossed my arms when the child said nothing "I'm not going, you cannot make me," The child did not saying anything though, and my irritation began to boil once more, and in a fit of rage, I spoke.

"Don't you have anything better to do?! You wanted to go home right?! Then go home!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

You shouted, and even I had to pause when I realized that you actually shouted. You did not look like the type to shout after all. Seeing as I was too surprised to reply, you continued.

"…for ignoring you, I'm sorry," You said with a voice cracking from the volume it reached "…but you were…you kept on asking me to fight, and I-,"

"-You could have at least acknowledged that you heard me," I spat grudgingly. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you did not finch though, seems you do have some backbone "…even when I tried telling you how to SPARE the Froggit you encountered earlier, you still ignored me,"

It was disorienting, to be ignored. To be hated was easy, they at least acknowledge your existence. To be loved was better; they care about you and listen to you. But to be ignored is the worst of the worst, because that would mean that you were not even someone worth a second glance

"…I'm sorry," You said, clutching your stick as you lowered your head "I just…I'm sorry," I grimaced when I saw your grip on the stick tighten and droplets of water cascading from your cheeks. How perfect, a pacifist and a cry baby. I scratched the back of my head in confusion as to how to make you stop crying, but before I could make up my mind, you spoke up.

"…it's just that you still wear that fake smile of yours…,"

"Did you say something?" I asked, I did not quite get that. Instead, you shook your head from side to side and looked straight at me, your tears drying easily.

(It would seem as you cannot go forward without becoming emotionally involved)

"I don't want to…hurt anyone," You said to me "The monsters…they all seem really nice…I just wanted to be friends with them…s-so I need your help to be friends with them," I frowned at this statement, something felt wrong about it, yet I could quite place what it was. Instead, I spoke.

"If you are eager to be friends with them, they will be equally as eager," I said to you, frowning "The path through the underground is also fairy straightforward. You will not get lost," You fumble for a second at this, and for a moment I thought I had one the argument and would finally leave me be. But soon enough, a surge of determination came forth and you stopped fumbling. I raised my eyebrow at this.

"I…I also want to be friends with you," You said your face mirroring your determination so clearly that even I was taken aback by this.

"And who said I wanted to be friends with you?" I said back. I was more than a little creeped out by this child's refusal to let me leave, we barely know each other after all. You shook your head at this and smiled a patient smile.

"No one, but I want to be friends with you," I paused at the surge of determination coming from this child, unsure whether I should be awed or disturbed. Why does this child have so much determination? It…something does not make sense…this child does not make sense…

You held out your hand patiently, a kind smile on your lips, and for a moment, I saw someone else in your features. One who was not human, but was equally as kind and innocent.

"So…can we be friends?"

" _From now on, were family!"_

Asriel…

I shook the image of the monster boy away and stared at your open hand. There tiny splinters on it due to the stick and a few gashes due to the fall, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was something that would be warm and inviting. I looked up to your face and found you smiling serenely. I gave a huff and shook my head ruefully, giving you a smile as I took your hand with my own transparent one.

It was just as warm as I thought it was

"I do not want to,"

* * *

" _Oh come on!" The child laughed at your statement "Don't be like that! It's the perfect time to cook some eggs!"_

 _You frowned when the child brushed off your warning. The child was crouched on the ground, their knees barely touching the rocky surface of Hotland. In front of them was an air vent that was currently releasing extremely hot air, Hot enough to cause the child to be lifted off the ground should they get too close. In their hands was a frying pan with a single egg frying on it._

 _Beside them, a monster's stomach began to growl hungrily. It was a Vulcan. The child smiled at the Vulcan and patted its head with their mitten covered hand. The Vulcan seemed to lean on to their touch._

" _Steamed eggs are a great way to start the day, don't you think?" The child said to no one in particular as they let the egg fry "Too bad Icecap couldn't come with us, being made of ice and all. I love making snow cones with him,"_

 _The Vulcan purred an agreement at this. But you knew that it was mostly because Vulcan did not truly like Icecap anyways, something about his hat always melting on her head. Personally though, you prefer Snowdin over Hotland, if only because their Inns there were cheap and their town free of scientist.. The child seemed to hear your thoughts and smiled again._

" _We should go back to Snowdin after our errand here is done, don't you think?" The child said to you and you agreed, looking to the side only to find that the Vulcan was in the verge of tearing up when she hear them say that. You rolled your eyes at this pathetic display and felt the urge to thrust a knife in her face. Despite knowing your thought, however, the child just laughed it off and patted the Vulcan again._

" _There there, don't cry. Of course we'll come back! Now, who wants' breakfast?"_

 _The child took the frying pan out of the steam and placed the egg onto a plate with two slices of sandwiches. They carefully put the egg onto one of the slices and put the other piece of bread on top of it, creating a rather simple, yet quaint looking sandwich. The child smiled as the Vulcan took the sandwich by the mouth and began to eat it happily, their green eyes crinkling ever so slightly._

 _You comment on this, asking why they looked so happy when they just fed a single monster that was trying to kill them just a few moments ago. Using water they stored from Waterfall, the child washed surface of their frying pan, not looking up to answer, but answered anyways._

" _Isn't it nice to see someone being happy because of something you made?" They said, and you frowned at the stamen. The child knew this and smiled wirily "Oh don't be like that! Doesn't it give you a nice feeling inside when their happy? When something you did brought happiness to another?"_

 _You snorted at the clichéd saying, and the child laughed again._

" _Haha! Your right!" They said with their eyebrows raised. You flinched back when you realized what they were going to say next. Oh god, let it not be-_

" _I guess you could say it's…CORNy!" The child, a teenager that looked much younger than they really were due to their height, sported a big grin "Get it?! Get it?!"_

 _You beg the child to stop, which they did with a large grin on their face. The Vulcan, who finished the sandwich with a smile, looked at the child confusingly._

" _Who are you talking to?" The Vulcan asked and the child smiled at her. Before they could reply, though, the Vulcan's eyes lit up dreamily._

" _Oh! Oh! Is it an imaginary friend? It's an imaginary friend, isn't it? What's their name?" The Vulcan asked, and you flinched when you were called such. If you could, you would have clenched your fists and snarled at the Vulcan for saying something like that to you, before proceeding to wipe that grin of her face. You were already forced to stay in a human's head for god knows why thrice in a row, and now you were being degraded into a child's fictional social partner._

 _You were here, you exist._

 _You. Are. Not. Someone's. Imagination_

 _(…right?)_

" _No, they're not. That was a rude thing to say, Vulcan,"_

 _You blinked when you heard the odd tone the child used and looked back towards the child. For the first time since they've fallen down from the hole above ground, they were frowning. It was not a pitying soft frown either. Adding with their crossed eyebrows and sharpened green eyes, they honest to god looked angered by what the monster said. You would have raised an eyebrow at this if you could, how surprising._

" _Sh-…Chara is their own person, don't jump into conclusions like that before someone explains!" The child reprimanded the Vulcan, who was cowering in shock at the child's sudden change of behavior towards it "Apologize to h- them,"_

 _You felt like you could twitch._

" _I-I'm sorry!" The Vulcan cried, and after a few moments of silence, the child's demeanor changed back into its carefree self. They patted the Vulcan's head with their gloved hand and sent them away with a smile, promising to still come back and visit them. The child turned around towards the elevators, before stopping when you spoke to them._

" _Ah?" The child said, confused "What did you say?"_

 _You say it again_

 _The child lowered their head, their hands fiddling with the handle of their frying pan "U-Umm…haha? I-I don't know what you're talking about!"_

 _You press on. The child started to sweat._

" _I-I didn't I swear!" The child cried out, their face was a surprising shade of red "Y-You just misheard, th-that's all!"_

 _You pointed out the child's red ears, and they blushed even more_

" _O-Okay fine, I'm sorry!" The child sprung up, their face still red "Geeze, Chara, it's just a pronoun, you didn't need to bring it up…,"_

 _You asked them why it sounded like they were almost going to refer you as a girl. The teen scratched their check bashfully_

" _I-I'm sorry, I know you don't like it when people call you using gender specific pronouns, but it couldn't stop me from wondering what your real gender was," You paused, and asked why they thought you were a girl. The child smile at no one in particular._

" _Instincts I guess?" They said casually "You sound feminine to me – no offense if you're a guy or anything of course – and the way you speak reminds me of how Toriel would speak…and…well…," The teen's face looks like they could implode at any second in embarrassment "…sorry. And just when I told the Vulcan to not jump into conclusions,"_

 _You rolled your eyes at this pathetic display and opt to change the subject. Asking the child another question._

" _Huh?" The child said out loud "Why I made them apologize? …Did you not want an apology?"_

' _No,' you wanted to say 'I wanted them dead,' but you did not say this. Despite that, the child heard it anyways. They smile wirily._

" _There you go again, thinking that violence is your only option," You frowned at being reprimanded and spoke up, but the child continued "Has it never occurred to you that a simply 'I'm sorry' can end a conflict with less broken hearts?" You snorted at the child's way of thinking, because you knew._

 _Apologies were only lies being told to ease the guilt of the one who apologizes. They bare no weight and never will. You flatly told this to the human, who had entered the elevator and pressed the button to go to the L1 floor. The child paused at your statement, and frowned. For a moment, you expected the child to say something cliché again, to deny your statement and speak of all the good things in life like the idyllic pacifist they were._

 _Instead, the child laughed sadly._

" _I cannot deny that," They said, their expression disturbingly bitter "The meaning to that word surely has been overuse throughout the years by humanity," The child gripped their frying pan tightly, and you almost, almost wanted to take back your words. But soon enough, the child raised their head and smiled._

" _But Chara, their not humanity, are they?" They said "Their monsters. Compared to the people above, their like living heaven incarnate,"_

 _You…could not deny this._

" _If anything, I believe they deserve the benefit of doubt when it comes to trickery," They smiled, warmth all but resonating in their eyes._

" _People like that…they of all people deserve kindness,"_

 _Without the child knowing, you smiled._

 _If only this child will last a little longer…_

* * *

 **Confused with the pacing? Yeah, I'll probably get to that when I'm not swamped with college work.**

 **To be honest, I'm a bit confused on how to portray Frisk here. We know that their kind and that their pretty damn determined, they can also be pretty patient with others and such. But at the same time, I can't write THIS Frisk as the same Frisk from the game either, meaning a few of you might say something about it.**

 **Why did I make them act like this? Guess for yourself.**

 **Chara is a different matter entirely though. No matter how you say it, I'm not changing how I portray them, even if you say their OOC. I'm sure you guys can realize that there is something more to this story that's happening than a simple Pacifist Run. And before you say anything, yes, I know how evil Chara can be. And I promise you that if you stick around, you'll see that side of them.**

 **Definitely.**

 **Aside from that?**

 **Read and Review!**


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